Rarely, therefore, did the
ordinary layman of medieval England own many books.
The large class to whom romances appealed seldom owned
books at all, simply because the people of this class, even
if wealthy and of noble rank, could not in ninety cases out
of one hundred read at all, or could read so poorly that the
pastime was irksome. Among the educated classes, the
books needed were those with which a reader had made
acquaintance at his university, or which were necessary
for his special study and occupation. Yet it is uncommon
to find private libraries; and with few exceptions they
were ridiculously small. The vast majority of the books
were owned in common by monastic or collegiate societies.
Let us bring together the meagre records of three
centuries, and some exceptions to the general rule which
serve only to show up the general poverty of the land.
Henry II, an ardent sportsman, a ruler almost completely
immersed in affairs of State, made time for private reading
and for working out knotty questions,[1] and very probably
he had a library to his hand. King John received from
the sacristan of Reading a small collection of books of
the Bible and severe theology, perhaps as a diplomatic
gift, perhaps as a subtle reminder that a little food for the
spirit would improve his morals and ameliorate the lot of
his subjects.
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